Fiendlady Saga II: The Sapphire Haired Shadow
by Schala A. Zeal
Summary: Following the events of Rise of the Fiendlady, Asteria finds herself in her home era once again, fashioning herself a mysterious new identity out of shame for her own identity.
1. Who I be, mon

_**Fiendlady Saga II**_

_The Sapphire-Haired Shadow_

As was her experience around a year ago, Asteria, Fiendlady of the Mystics, who was also in fact Schala, the lost Princess of Zeal, found herself once again falling through the endless abyss of time. As she fell, she was baffled. How could Lavos have awakened? It was soon after pondering that she soon fell into wet, cold snow face first. Alert and shivering like crazy, Asteria clutched her cloak tightly, trudging through the snow as fast as she could.

It was after a minute or two that she then stopped and held up Mursamune, staring at the dark blade. "Why am I trudging like a weakling through this foreign snow?" she asked herself before holding Mursamune in front of her and narrowing her eyes to a glare. Within moments, a beam of heat roared out of the Mursamune's blade, tearing a path through the thick snow out to the horizon, leaving the ashes of once-frozen vegetation to decorate the newly uncovered path.

Asteria then took off in a rapid soar down the path, within minutes finding a human settlement within a cave at the foot of a mountain. She stopped dead in her tracks after an attempt to move closer. In crude carving, the name _Alghetty_ was carved into the mountainside by the cave entrance. "Someone inside is bound to recognise me... I must be cautious." she said.

After some time, Asteria had fashioned herself new regalia consisting of a hooded gold-lined mask, her own midnight blue cape, long loose sleeves and pants, a sash chest cover, and gold jewelry mainly around her wrists and neck, topped off with a warm midnight blue robe. She wandered into the village, with people taking notice.

"Another newcomer..." an elderly gentleman said. "I thought that new Prophet was strange enough..."

Asteria passed by him without notice and headed for the pub, desiring a warm place to sit. As she approached the bartender, she noticed many were forking out handfuls of gold just for small glasses of water. She shook her head at the situation and looked at the shaggy earthbound bartender. As the bartender asked what she'd have, albeit anxiously, she thought for a moment. Her voice would likely give her away as well. She thought for a moment before a light went off in her head and she opened her mouth to speak.

"Jah mon. I be desirin' yah finest tonic... No ice." she spoke out as the bartender quirked a brow at the obvious accent. "Come again?" he asked. "Tonic, mon! I be needin' da tonic!" The bartender glanced at her awkwardly. "O...kay, but it's not cheap." Asteria held out her hand and dropped before him a ridiculously large pile of gold.

"Holy sh-" the bartender said, with bar patrons also noticing the large clitter-clatter of money dropping. "R-Right away, Miss uh...?" the bartender stopped curiously. Asteria thought for a moment before answering. "I be known as da Oracle of Calaspera. When da kingdom rose to de skies, I stayed behind wit' da rest."

The bartender blinked. "Unique accent you have. I never knew something like that went around." Asteria chuckled. "No no, it be meh own trademark accent mon. I be havin' it s'long as I remembah. It gets da folks attention in business ah-course..." The bartender smirked. "Whatever puts bread on the table I suppose."

Asteria pulled her mask down just enough to chug the tonic down and set it back on the counter within a matter of seconds. "Keep da rest of da gold. I be havin' plenty." she said and turned to head out of the village.


	2. Back in Zeal, mon

Asteria raised her head to the snowy skies. "Back home..." she muttered to herself. "At least I can put my affairs in order now..." The Mursamune seethed with darkness as she departed Alghetty en route to the sky station. As she boarded the teleporter, entering Zeal, she glanced around.

"It's been a year's time... but I shall be more assertive this time..." she said, walking towards Enhasa, placing the Mursamune in its sheath. She noticed the gurus out front discussing the Prophet's arrival, before noticing Asteria. "Another newcomer?" Melchior asked. All three glanced at her as she went inside.

There, standing by the healing rune on the floor, was Janus. Asteria hesitated a bit before making her way up the opposite staircase, though Janus watched her the whole time. As she decided to do a little reading from the nearby bookshelf, a few commoners where conversing nearby. "Poor Schala... The poor girl's being worked so hard by the Queen these days." Asteria glanced over with a snicker at how pathetic she thought they were.

They took notice and glared at her. "How dare you disrespect our fair Princess!" they exclaimed. Asteria crossed her arms. "Dis Princess of yours... She be seemin' like a doormat ta me, mon." she said. The group of commoners didn't take too kindly to this. "Your days here are numbered, witch!" they said. Janus stood watching the whole thing. "I'm telling my sis on you." Asteria turned her eyes to him. "Joo go do dat den, young Prince. I be doubtin' she has de aut'ority ta discipline meh."

Janus clutches his fists, and watched grudgingly as Asteria took her leave. Dalton watched from the corner with a grin. "That woman seems just what we need." he said to himself.

Asteria made her way to the palace next, glancing around curiously. The guards moved in to question her but she gave them so cold a glare that they stopped dead in their tracks. "It'd be a fatal error ta draw steel against me, mon." Her aura was so powerful that they obliged and returned to their posts. "Did the Prophet say anything about this one?" one guard asked the other. "Hell if I know..." the other replied.

She continued up the marble stairs in the palace's interior, about to head to the throne room, when the distracting idea of visiting her old room took hold of her. "It wouldn't hurt..." she thought and turned, heading for her old room. She spotted her old bodyguard Lance standing by the door and hid behind the corridor. Asteria pulled her mask down and called out. "Lance, I'm granting you a break for an hour. You haven't seen your family in days." Lance replied. "Yes, your Highness." he said walking away from his post. She remembered that back then Lance rarely left unless granted the opportunity, which she seldom did in her busy schedule. She smirked and calmly walked into her old room.

Along the walls of numerous oil paint portraits was her Scholar's Degree from Kajar. It read "This is to certify that [Schala A. Zeal] has completed all necessary studies of Kajar Magic Academy." Below that read "Signed [Norstein Bekkler] – Designated Professor" and "[Belthasar], [Gaspar], [Melchior] – Headmaster(s)" Asteria looked around more and saw her diary by the window. Sitting on her old bed, she flipped through it, realizing it was about a month before the ocean palace disaster. "Hmm..."

She glanced out the window more and sighed. Getting up, she took one last look at the room and headed off.

Queen Samele was deep in thought in the throne room in the meantime, with the Prophet and past Schala at her side. "The gurus have been transgressing me. They must be taken care of. I will not tolerate delays any longer!" Magus nodded just as Asteria walked in. Samele stood up. "Who are you?" she asked in alarm. Magus and past Schala looked over. "Da Prophet be a fake, mon..." Asteria bluntly said.

Samele and Schala turned to Magus. "What? But he's been right about everything!" Asteria shook her head. "He be stealin' mah predictions! If joo be wantin' proof, Dalton be comin' t'ru da door in t'ree... two... one..." Indeed, Dalton walked in. "Pah, that could have been on cue!" Samele stated. Dalton stared at Magus and Asteria. "Actually, she's right your Highness. The Prophet is a fake."

Samele thought for a moment before looking up at Magus. "Guards, seize the fake!" Magus turned to Asteria with a cold expression. "You've crossed a terrible threshold, woman..." he said before fleeing, the guards following after him. Dalton grinned as the "Prophet" went fleeing.


End file.
